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Levitate
- This Pokémon is immune to Ground moves.
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Statistics
|
Min- |
Min |
Max |
Max+ |
| HP |
80
|
- |
301 |
364 |
- |
| Atk |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
| Def |
80
|
176 |
196 |
259 |
284 |
| SpA |
80
|
176 |
196 |
259 |
284 |
| SpD |
80
|
176 |
196 |
259 |
284 |
| Spe |
100
|
212 |
236 |
299 |
328 |
Screech on the first turn since your opponent will most likely switch. You will do a very good amount of damage with an Earthquake to whatever is switched in, assuming that it can be hit by it. Flygon counters such as Milotic and Suicune will think twice about staying in and taking a STAB boosted Earthquake with two Defense drops (if they're not at full HP). This thing can be very, very good if used right.
This is most effective with a few layers of Spikes down on the field. Screech makes them want to switch, Spikes makes them want to stay in, so they're in trouble no matter what they do.
He can inflict heavy damage on most everything in the game, and Substitute allows him to do so without excessive prediction. Earthquake is his powerful STAB move which is nicely complemented by Rock Slide. Fire Blast allows you to put a giant dent into Skarmory, OHKO Forretress, and take about 40% out of Celebi (depending on the EVs of both Pokémon, this could be highly variable). And Substitute brings a whole new dimension to Flygon that truly takes him into a class of his own. He makes a perfect switch-in on Magneton, Tyranitar, and Zapdos (make sure you Substitute or switch first to check for Hidden Power Ice) and is all around a team player that tons of people forget to counter.
Strategy here is simple. Switch into either another Choice Bander or Physical sweeper using Earthquake or Rock Slide, then predict what they're going to switch to (or if they'll stay in) and attack accordingly. This Choice Band set requires good prediction, like all Choice Banders, but it has a good payoff. Hidden Power Bug is useful for Grass types, Celebi in particular. Fire Blast takes Skarmory. Quick Attack is another option to help with Reversal users. This isn't particularly useful, however, because Flygon is so often paired with Tyranitar to abuse Sand Stream.
Special sweeping set. Earthquake to stop Blissey from blocking out the set, Giga Drain or Hidden Power Grass if you want to defend against Swampert in particular, who generally thinks it's safe to come on in. Dragon Claw is a nice 100% accurate Special move, but Hidden Power Ice gives a few more super effectives, if you opt for Giga Drain over Hidden Power Grass. Very effective, maybe not as much as the Choice Band set, but same premise. Switch into an Earthquake or Rock Slide, then predict and start firing.
Flygon in uber play is interesting. It resists Earthquake, Rock Slide and Fire moves, so it can counter Groudon to an extent as long as it doesn't eat Hidden Power Bug/Ghost all the time. He pretty much needs Solarbeam to hurt him decently, and you should be careful with that. You do not want Kyogre to come in on Solarbeam, as it will take a turn to charge, and you will be stuck against Kyogre who will Ice Beam you to death. Hidden Power Ghost is for the obvious Lati@s switch-in, Fire Blast for Forretress and Skarmory mostly.
Other Options
Hidden Power Ghost can really screw up an incoming Gengar, while Hidden Power Flying is an easy OHKO on the brave Heracross trying to switch into an Earthquake. Mimic could work if you try and Mimic a move like Heal Bell or Recover, as Flygon has a lot of Defense (Special and Physical) to Recover behind, and Mimicking Heal Bell is always fun.
EVs
For the Choice Band set, you'll want a fair bit of speed. 274 is a good stat to shoot for, at the minimum, as this beats out the common Adamant Heracross, most DDMences, and Smeargle. 299 Speed beats out Jolly Heracross and ties at worst with almost all Choice Band Salamences. If you want to use Jolly, get it to 300 Speed at the minimum for Modest Zapdos and Adamant Salamence. 320 Speed is another good milestone, as this is faster than Modest Gengar. For the special sweeping set, make him Mild or Rash so you don't weaken Earthquake too much. Put everything you don't put in Speed in Special Attack, with a little leftover for Attack. For the Substitute set the EVs listed allow your Substitute to survive an unboosted Tyranitar Rock Slide all the time, and you will always outspeed it too as long as it has no Dragon Dances. The spread is generally defensive so you take on Electrics with Hidden Power Grass better.
Alternatively, the following EV set makes for a quicker Flygon that outspeeds things around the 306 bracket (Houndoom, Jynx), mostly handy for the first three sets.
80 HP / 224 Atk / 16 Def / 180 Spe / 8 SpD
Opinion
Flygon has a unique type mix, which is helped by its ability to be even better. Its resistance to Rock, coupled with its Immunity to Ground, makes it perfect to counter Donphan, Rhydon, Tyranitar, and company. Gets STAB on Earthquake, which is nice, and has very good Attack and Special Attack. Actually, it has good stats all around, and is able to stay in vs. anything but STAB Ice attacks, really. Its Dragon type makes it neutral to Grass and Water instead of weak to it, but it also makes it 4x to Ice, but then again, so are Salamence and Dragonite, and they do fine. A very good Pokémon that can and should be used in the OU metagame. If you use it well, it should bring you a lot of success.
Counters
It's mainly used as a Choice Bander, so prediction, obviously. Other than that, not very much. Stuff with STAB Ice attacks will scare it away, but most Ice types are frail and won't be switching into Flygon, anyway. The exceptions are Articuno, which you can Rock Slide for the OHKO, and Lapras, which needs max Defense and HP to not be 2HKOed by the Choice Bander. Your main worries are going to be non-Ice types with Ice attacks, and even them you can usually take care of. Claydol will neutralize you if you don't have Hidden Power Bug, or possibly Giga Drain, and usually packs Ice Beam as well. Skarmory is an amazing counter for those without Fire Blast, and takes on those with it fairly well, too. Heracross can come in and laugh at you if you lack Hidden Power Flying, but is worn down by repeated hits or Fire Blast. Porygon2 and Gardevoir can trace your Levitate, so you can no longer hit them with Earthquake. Gardevoir is still weak to Hidden Power Bug, but Porygon2 is weak to none of your attacks, and often carries Ice Beam. Swampert, Milotic and Suicune can come in reliably on anything but a Choice Banded Earthquake (and even that doesn't kill them instantly), and Ice Beam Flygon.